Pryluky regiment. An administrative territory and military formation of the Hetman state (see Regimental system). It was formed in 1648 at the outbreak of Bohdan Khmelnytsky's uprising (see Cossack-Polish War) but was soon greatly reduced in size. In 1649 it had 20 companies, with a total of 2,100 registered Cossacks. It suffered heavy losses in Martyn Pushkar's revolt and the Cossack-Muscovite War (1657–9). In the 1720s it consisted of only eight companies, with 3,300 Cossacks and 7,000 peasants. By the end of the century the regiment had 11 companies and a population of 69,200, including 10,900 elect Cossacks and 9,700 Cossack helpers. A number of its colonels served on the general officer staff of the Hetmanate, and one of them, Petro Doroshenko (1657–9), became hetman of Right-Bank Ukraine. The regiment also spawned two traitors, whom Peter I rewarded for their treason with a colonelcy: I. Nos (1708–14), who led the Russians into Hetman Ivan Mazepa's capital, Baturyn, and Hnat Galagan (1714–39), who helped them capture the Zaporozhian Sich.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]


Encyclopedia of Ukraine